Unsteady
by vamphony
Summary: Working at Grey Enterprises had always been in Anastasia Steele's plans. Falling for Christian Grey hadn't. But, she never planned for her perfect world to come crashing down around her when he uncovered her biggest secret.
1. Chapter 1

_**"Love is like an eternal flame; once it is lit, it will continue to burn for all time."**_

* * *

Ana shook her umbrella sprinkling cool water droplets everywhere, as she entered Grey Enterprises. A cold shiver ran down her body from the cold rain as she blew out a breath, closing her umbrella as quickly as she could. She didn't want to walk around in a building with an open umbrella. It was bad luck and she definitely didn't need _any_ of that. She held the rolled-up umbrella under her arm and ran her fingers through her hair to straighten out the frizzled pieces. She was glad she decided not to fix her hair this morning or it would be even worse than it was at the moment. The rain just couldn't help but hit her every way it could, even with protection. She pushed her hair behind her shoulder and walked over to the front desk as her heels clicked on the marbled floor.

The building was very quiet this morning. It was probably because it was so early. Most people didn't get there until noon. Christian was just a workaholic and loved going early. But, of course, when she asked him to stay he wouldn't think twice before jumping back into their warm bed but he said when he worked it cleared his mind and calmed his body, just as she did. Plus, he always said there was room to make more money, even if it was his company.

"Hello, Mrs. Grey. How are you today?" The assistant, Olivia, asked smiling at the brunette. Ana felt a smile grace her lips from the warm greeting and she leaned against the desk, licking her lips.

"I'm great. I've had a _wonderful_ time with the wind outside..." she replied sarcastically. It was one of the many traits she picked up after Christian. It was hard _not_ to start acting like him after being together so long. He often teased her saying she was the female version of him that always made her laugh. She shook her head at the furious blows of mother nature, looking towards the soaked doors before turning back to Olivia. The blonde laughed as she continued. "But, other than that, my day has been great. I've just come to see my hubby and start the day. How has yours been so far?"

The blonde slightly blushed, surprised the woman had asked how _she_ was doing and how _her_ day was going. Her boss had really got lucky with this woman in front of her. She was an angel. Olivia shrugged.

"Normal. Kind of boring. Nothing exciting or scary has happened. But, I like being at a computer and typing so this job really suits me. And, it pays my bills so I'm definitely not complaining. Plus, Christian is a great boss. He's a lot better than he was. I'm very happy he met you, Mrs. Grey."

Ana tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and continued to smile. She felt her cheeks grow hot from the compliments and tried to push away the _guilt_ that once again haunted her every thought. She dropped the smile from her face and made it seem like Olivia's words had really affected her. She couldn't display her emotions so freely. The words were beautiful and kind but it only made her think about how _wrong_ this all was. She was disgusted with herself.

She mentally shook her head and gave a bittersweet smile to the woman. "Thank you, Olivia. I'm happy that I met _him._ He completely changed my life for the better..."

And, all she wished for was that they had met under different circumstances. But, she knew her prayers wouldn't be answered. She didn't deserve them. She didn't deserve _him._

"And, every day I wake up and he's next to me, I think 'Wow. This actually happened. This is _real._ This isn't a dream' because I myself, don't believe that I'm really his wife and that I'm married to such a wonderful man. I've never met any other person that even comes _close_ to Christian. Not in their emotions or the way they speak and or even how he acts around me or with me. I thank whatever God or higher up that I have him. And, I keep hoping that he'll never be taken away from me..." Ana sighed, realizing she had gotten too deep in her thoughts and emotions. If she wasn't careful, she could spill _everything._

She faked a smile as the eager woman nodded excitedly at her ramblings.

"But, anyways, call me Ana. As much as I love being called 'Mrs. Grey' I would rather have my friends call me Ana like everyone else."

Olivia nodded. "Okay, _Ana._ Call me Liv or Olivia. I don't really care which one. And, thank you for talking with me. I won't keep you too much longer from your husband. You should go see him. I know he'll be happy."

Ana playfully smiled and squinted her eyes, faking anger. "I have to get him back anyway because he didn't say goodbye to me this morning when he left." she growled and rolled her eyes. "Wish me luck. Goodbye, Liv. I had a great time talking with you." she called, turning away from the desk and walking to the elevator. She pressed the button impatiently, practically bouncing in her heels to see Christian.

The elevator chimed softly and the doors opened moments later. She stepped inside, lightly grazing her teeth over her lip but didn't bite down on her bottom lip as she usually did. Christian _hated_ when she did so. He always complained that it would damage her perfect lips and he didn't want her to inflict pain on herself. She bit back the urge and took a deep breath instead to take her mind away from what it wanted to do. She checked the time on the elevator wall and moaned in ager when she saw it was ten thirty. She was later than what she wanted to be. She didn't have to be here at all but she wanted to see her husband and continue her duties at the company. It gave her something to do other than to sit at home or run around with Kate. Shopping and gossiping about their significant other wasn't always so appealing. What she did in her marriage was _her_ business as much as she loved talking with her best friend.

She stepped out once the doors opened once again and she walked down the hallway but stopped in front of a dark office.

"Elliot?" she asked, lightly tapping her index finger on the cracked open door. When she got no response, she pushed it open and called his name once more. She looked over at the multiple cameras and noticed the man was sleeping. She lightly shook her head and walked over, tapping him on the shoulder. He jumped up from the motion and his eyes shot open.

"I wasn't sleeping!" He all of a sudden called out before noticing Ana stood next to him with a confused look on her face. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry, Ana if I scared you. And, I swear, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

She playfully shook her head. "Elliot, it's fine. You didn't scare me. And, it's okay that you fell asleep. Christian understands that your human and you fall asleep and get tired."

"I know but I'm supposed to be protecting him. I can't protect him and watch for anyone suspicious that comes through the lobby or hallways if I'm asleep."

Ana playfully rolled her eyes. "I still don't know why you want to be security for Christian. You know you're the co-CEO right?"

He nodded, a twinkle in his eyes. "Yeah I know but I like being in here and running around the building. It's fun and better than sitting in an office all day like Christian. It's exciting. I would rather protect you and him than shuffle through papers all day."

Ana shook her head before reaching into the pocket of her jacket after he finished his sentence and pulled out a small piece of paper. She sat it in front of him, silently.

"What's this?" he asked and picked up the paper, opening it.

"It's a paper from me and Christian telling you to go home. I knew you wouldn't go if I asked you so I got Christian to agree that you needed to go home and sleep because you work almost nonstop like him. Sometimes, I have to drag him to come home and I don't want to it to you too. It says you're not allowed to come back until next week."

Ana wordlessly leaned in closer to him and kissed the side of his head. "Go home, Elliot. Get some sleep. Enjoy life. There's other security guards that will protect the company along with me and Christian. Stop stressing. Besides, sitting in a dark room all the time watching camera will hurt your eyes."

She turned away and walked to the doorway. She started to walk out when she heard his voice behind her.

"Thank you, Ana. Honestly, I just don't want you or Christian to get hurt on my watch. He's my best friend not just my brother and you're his wife. And, you're my family. Not only would I lose my mind if either of you got hurt or died because I wasn't here or not paying attention but it would kill Kate too. I can't let that happen."

Ana stopped dead in her tracks and turned back to the man that had dark bags under his eyes.

"I know, Elliot. You love me and Christian and I know it would kill you if something happened to either one of us but that doesn't mean you completely stop your life because of that fear. Anything could happen to us. We could walk outside and get hit by a car and die. Anything could happen..." she mentally smacked herself, realizing this wasn't reassuring his fear in anyway. "But, what I'm saying is... don't stop your life because of us. I don't want you too and neither does Christian. Go home to Kate, she misses you. Bye, Elliot." she called, leaving no further room for discussion and walked away from the dark room.

She continued to walk down the hall and got excited further when she was inches away from her husband's office. She went to grab the door and opened it but when she heard small whispers, she stopped dead in her tracks. Instead, she pressed her ear up against the black doors, hoping she could hear what was being said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Came Christian's voice in a growl, making her jump from the anger in his voice. "Why are you calling me? Who are you?" he asked again, his voice softer but still hard. "You know what? Get off of my phone. _Stop_ playing on it. Don't say a word about my wife and _don't_ call this number ever again, you hear me?"

Ana placed a hand over her chest in surprise and shock. Who in the hell would call Christian talking about her? _Why_ would they call talking about her? She shook her head and opened the doors, plastering a smile on her face.

"Christian!" She yelled happily, without waiting a second before running to him behind his desk and jumping in his arms. She felt his previous state of anger and tense muscles fade away and he curled his arms around her small frame, crushing her to him. She smiled into the skin of his neck and she felt herself being sat down on top of his desk. She wrapped her legs around his waist in a vice like grip when he slightly pulled away.

"Calm down. I'm not going anywhere." He soothed, smirking. "You don't have to cage me between your legs."

She rolled her eyes at his irritating comment. "Oh, shut up. You love behind caged between my legs. Just like you were last night."

His smirked widened and he wiggled his eyebrows at the mention of the steamy night before.

"But, I wasn't the one screaming 'Don't stop' now was I?" He retaliated, winking at her. Her mouth dropped open before she lightly smacked his chest and her cheeks grew red. She licked her lips.

"Speaking of last night and being caged between my legs, you left hickeys on my neck."

"Correction. I left hickeys everywhere." he teased and she squinted her eyes at him. She definitely knew he was sucking on her skin last night but she was too wrapped up in pleasure to realize that he was leaving visible marks that people could see.

"Ugh, you-" she started before taking a deep breath. "You know I hate when you leave hickeys that people can see, Christian. I _hate_ when people stare at me because I have them. And, don't even get me started on Kate when she sees them. She screams like she's being murdered. And, like she's never seen them or _had_ them before."

Ana chuckled under his breath at his wife's slightly bash at her friend and how much she was blowing this out of proportion. The next moment, she suddenly unwrapped her legs from around him making his blood run cold at the loss of contact and jumped off of his desk. He stared at her confused, pouting his lips when she sat in one of the chairs in front of his wooden desk. She crossed her arms at him with a raised eyebrow. He held his arms up at her, silently, asking why she moved.

"I'm mad at you anyway." she said after a moment, sticking out her bottom lip.

"And, why is that?" he asked, sitting back down in his chair. She huffed, a sad look on her face.

"Because you left me this morning. You didn't say bye or wake me up so we could get ready and leave together. You just _left._ " she cried, her eyes filling up with tears. She looked down at the floor and sighed sadly.

His eyes flashes to hers and he sees the heartbreak in her crystal blue orbs. He honestly didn't know why this was getting to her so much because he always did that. She had been emotional lately, more than she usually was, and he had an inkling suspicion on what it was. He wordlessly stood up and walked over, sitting in the chair next to her. She didn't look up at him, her eyes still glossy and the more she thought about it, the more the tears welled up. He leaned over and clutched her knee with his hand trying to draw her attention to him.

"Baby." he whispered, making her turn her head at him. A hot tear ran down her cheek and licked her lips, sadly. Her natural bright, blue eyes turned sunken and dark in the span of a few minutes. The dam suddenly broke and tears started to stream down her face.

"No, no, no. Baby, please don't cry. You know it kills me when you do. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to purposely hurt your feelings this morning. I just didn't want to wake you up. I didn't have the backbone to do. You are just so cute while your sleeping. I couldn't wake you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." he begged, his voice honey in her ears. She could hear the plea in his voice and she took a dee breath to try to stop the streams form running down her cheeks. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it multiple times, his face screaming pure agony at the sight of his wife in tears.

With her free hand, she wiped under her eyes and the tear stains away. She turned to Christian after a moment, licking her lips tasting salt form her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so emotional. You always leave for work like that and sometimes you don't wake me. It's fine, Christian. I just overreacted."

He resisted the urge to comment on why he thought she got so emotional about something so small. He didn't know if he was ready for the thought. Or, the idea.

"Don't worry about it, baby. We're okay. Everything's okay. Don't stress. There's nothing to forgive. Okay?"

She nodded, wiping the last of the tears away. "Okay."

After minutes of silence and his hand holding hers, he finally spoke up.

"In fact, why are you here? I mean, I have nothing against you being with me but why? We're married, Ana. You don't have to continue to work as my assistant and I see it as kind of stupid that my wife works for me and that I pay her every two weeks."

His words made her smile. "Well, it may be weird for you but I like coming here and doing things for you. It gives me something to do. You know I get tired of sitting at the house all day and shopping all the time. Plus, I think Kate is planning for the wedding she can't have yet. Her and Elliot have been dating only a few weeks after we got married. That's only a year. They're not even engaged." The brunette shook her head. "Kate is so crazy." she teased, shaking her head.

" _You're_ crazy." he pointed out, nodding his head at her, his eyebrows raised.

"No, I'm not!" she replied, her mouth open.

He nodded again. "Yes, you are. What married woman works for her husband." He seemed to bounce the idea around in his head before dropping his mouth open in fake shock. "Oh, that's right, Anastasia! Anastasia Grey likes to work for her husband because she's nut job."

She laughed before lightly smacking his suit covered arm, her thoughts starting to creep back up. She turned her head away from Christian's grey eyes, trying her hardest not to cry again. In a way, she wanted to know for him because of her guilt. It would continue to eat her alive if she didn't do _something_ to pay him back somehow. Even if he doesn't know it.

"But, you're stuck with this nut job so, get over it." Ana teased back, turning her head back to her husband's. She leaned in and kissed his lips, and fought the urge to jump in his lap and rip his clothes off. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her lips and moaned into his mouth before he suddenly pulled away, his eyes dark and clouded with lust. She lightly bit down on her lip, just enough to wear he wouldn't chastise her for hurting herself, still dazed form his lips.

"I need you to do something for me." he whispered, his voice husky and low.

"What?" she asked, grabbing his black tie to pull him close to her.

"As my wife slash assistant... I need you to take off your clothes because I want you."

Ana's eyebrows shot up. "Right now? You can't wait?"

He shook his head. "You shouldn't have kissed me." He replied, shrugging.

Ana took a deep breath before wordlessly pointing at his office doors. "Those doors better be locked before we do anything." Christian stood up from his chair and quickly closed his office doors before turning back to his eagerly awaiting wife.

* * *

 _ **As you can see, my Christian is a lot calmer and tamer**_ _**than from the movies and books... for now. I'm so excited to hear thoughts on the first chapter considering this is my first Ana/Christian story. I usually write about**_ _**Damon**_ _**and**_ _**Elena**_ _**but I wanted to dip my hand into the world of FSOG as well. I hope you enjoyed. This idea has been bouncing in my head around for a while and I've finally got the chance to write and post it.**_

 _ **Ana and Christian are in love and happy now... but let's see how long that will last. Especially with my muse running wild with ideas to screw up their marriage for the time being. No promises though. I loved angst so be warned. A side note; no cheating will be involved in this story. I can't stand cheaters or cheating stories. In my**_ _**opinion, you can't come back from that.**_

 _ **Why do you think Ana is working for Christian? Who was he on the phone with? Let me know your thoughts! Bye.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**"Guilt is to the spirit, what pain is to the body."**_

* * *

"Do you _have_ to leave early?"

Christian nodded, pulling his pants up over his naked waist, buttoning them silently. Ana pouted at his response and flopped back down on their king-sized bed. She ran a hand over the red satin sheets and bit her lip, remembering when she clutched them hours before screaming her lungs out. She sighed loudly to get Christian's attention as he slipped on his suit jacket. He glanced over her through the mirror and she stood up from the bed, walking up behind him.

"Why can't you just stay home with me? You barely ever do that anymore. Why can't we just have a day together? Maybe we can see a movie." she pleaded, wrapping her arms around his middle, pushing her face into his shoulder. He fixed his tie, his eyes growing soft. He sighed, turning to look at her.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was planning to have day just for us but I have an important last-minute meeting. I can't miss it. I promise when I get home, we'll do something together."

Ana rolled her eyes when he turned and tried to grab her hand. She snatched her hand from his grasp and turned her back. Without wasting a second, she walked back over to their bed and sat down. She wasn't even angry anymore. She was just hurt. Christian had been doing this for months and she tried not to let it get to her and make the best of it. But, lately, it just hurts more. And, frankly, she is tired of it. She feels like her husband likes working more than seeing his own wife and that he is pulling away. Of course, they had been together yesterday and they were talking. Nothing seemed wrong then but every time he leaves, it only caused her fears to grow louder. Was he not into them anymore? Did he not love her after only a year? Had she done something?

Her eyes became glossy and her shoulders sagged from the aching pain she felt within her heart. The world turned into a blur and she completely forgot where she was. She tried to hold back the strange feelings stirring inside of her but couldn't. A lone tear traced down her cheek, and just like that, the floodgates opened. The tears that brimmed in her eyes, clouding her vision fell in hot streaks down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away or even attempt to hide them. She just didn't care. She tried to keep her breath small so she didn't sound like she was dying while she cried.

The moment he heard her sniffle, Christian spun around, dropping his hands to his side. He didn't say word or waste another second before he practically ran over to the crying brunette and kneeled down in front of her. She tried to put her hands in front of her face to block him from seeing her cry but he pulled them away. Her eyes were red and puffy and her lips were pursed in a way that almost looked as if she was giving a sad smile.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'm not purposely doing this to you. I'm not trying to hurt you or your feelings. Just because we're married doesn't mean I can abandon my duties as a CEO. And, I'm not pulling away from you, I promise. I love you. We're going to spend time together but these past few months have been busy and I couldn't just ignore that. I'm sorry that it fell onto when we got married. But, I can't help that. We're going to have our time, I _promise_ you. You just have to give me a little time so this rough patch with the company and these deals and contracts that need to be dealt with, can finally be over. Just wait a little longer, okay? I swear, I'll make it up to you." he begged, rubbing his hands over her bare legs, grazing over the bottom of her shorts.

She looked up from the place she had been staring at and nodded silently.

"Okay." Was all she said. She didn't have the strength or energy to argue and she knew it was a losing matter to begin with. She couldn't be mad at Christian when he was a CEO when they met and he couldn't help that the company all of a sudden had people trying to work with them and for them. It wasn't his doing. She couldn't be mad as much as she wanted to be.

"Now, I have to go. The meeting starts in an hour but I want to make sure everything is set up and that nothing will go wrong." He kissed her wet lips before kissing both of her cheeks, making her smile and blush. "I love you. Bye, baby. If you want, you can come later around eleven and that's when I should be done with the meeting. At latest. I'll cuddle you like you always love if that's what you want. Okay?"

Ana smiled further at the last part of his sentence and her eyes twinkled again like they always did when she was happy. She licked her lips and scooted closer at the edge of the bed and pressed her forehead against Christian's.

"You promise?" she asked, clasping her hands on his neck. He nodded and pouted his lips the way she loved.

"I promise, baby. I'll make up _everything_ to you. _Anything_ you want." he replied, resting his hands on her warm legs. He kissed her lips before standing up and pulling her alone with him. She squealed in happiness and fear when he threw her in his arms without complaint. She curled her legs around his suit covered waist as his hands slid to her back, keeping her in place so she wouldn't fall.

"Please don't drop me. I'm fragile." she whispered, playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck.

"I'd never drop you." He silently promised before he suddenly let go and she fell on top of the bed, bouncing on the mattress. She dropped her mouth open at him and he smirked.

"Correction. I would never _unintentionally_ drop you when I knew you went safe."

He smirked and bit his lip. She grabbed a pillow from the top of the bed and threw it at him. He caught it right before it hit his face and threw it back on the bed. She laid back on the bed and he hovered over her, placing his hands on both sides of her head and leaned down, kissing her lips. He continued to kiss down her skin and lightly nipped at the sensitive spot right below her ear making her giggle.

"Christian, stop!" she playfully chastised, her neck unintentionally moving away from his lips that made her muscles feel like glue. He ignored her plea and continued attacking her neck, smiling when her body squirmed beneath him. He finally gave into her demands and pulled his lips away from her skin. He raised up, admiring her feminine features. She stopped laughing, her look turning neutral once she saw her husband staring at her. She subconsciously licked her lips, her hands coming around his throat and playing with his light copper hair.

"I love you... you know, that right?" he whispered, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

She nodded, silently, as he leaned down closer on his arms, inches away from her lips. "I love you too." she responded, reassuring him immediately.

This was never meant to happen. She wasn't supposed to fall for him... nor did she want too. But, it seems like fate had a different plan in mind for her. The lines of what she planned became blurred not too long after becoming his assistant and she didn't want to go through with it anymore. Even if in a way she was. Christian was the best thing that ever happened to her. It was unexpected and in the complete opposite she thought it would go. And, the longer she was around, the smaller that little voice inside her head got pushing her to do what she came for.

But, she would never do it. It was easy to say she would before she knew him but she would rather have his love than go through with her plan and once again be alone.

Christian leaned in and lightly kissed her full lips, savoring the sweet taste of them. He could swear they were like sugar; an _addiction._ Every time their lips met, he only grew hungrier for them each time. He only wanted them more. He often found himself staring at them at the weirdest of times. Studying every crease, line and curve.

He noticed that they were the usual color of pink most days, reminding him of a rosebud. But, there were days they were bright red, redder than the color of her cheeks when she grew embarrassed or flattered. They drew him in. When she bit down on her bottom lip, it only made his body grow hungry for them to be placed against his lips or body. Just _something_ to fix this need. And, every time she made love to his, it felt as though it was the first time. No matter how many times she granted his wish, the moment hers touched his skin or body, he froze. The world fell away and the only thing mattered was how long she would continue her soft assault on his lips or body. He didn't care about anything else. His thoughts hazed and his heart raced. It was an addiction that he never wanted to clean because with each kiss, he still never felt satisfied. It always hungered for more.

Her hands crept up from his neck, sending chills down his spine. They continued until it reached the back of his head, massaging and pulling lightly at his raven hair, not to hurt him. He wanted to laugh at the action because she said she never wanted to risk causing him pain or try and pull his hair from his head. It was comical because she had no problem digging her nails in his back when she threw her head back from pleasure... _not_ that he was complaining.

And, all too soon, it ended.

She pulled away, laying her head back on their satin sheets, her hair sprawled out around her head from when she flopped back on the mattress. His body instantly whined at the loss of contact, his blood running cold from the lack of warmth pressed against him. His mind felt dazed and for a moment, he had forgotten where he was. Her lips slightly parted, his eyes still closed. He heard the brunette giggle at his face and he opened them seeing her bright smile. He pursed his lips before cursing.

"I have to go. I'm probably _super_ late. And, if I stay any longer, I won't leave at all."

She mirrored his smirk. "Then don't."

He squinted his eyes playfully, a teasing smile appearing. He bit his tongue from saying more because if he did, they would continue to go back and forth until they ended up naked and he would completely miss the biggest meeting that had been planned for months. He didn't trust himself not to fight his urges of having his wife when he _knew_ he couldn't. He silently raised up from her body, even though he didn't want too, and stood up straight. She sat, her hands clutching the edge of the mattress, her head cocked at him, waiting for his next move.

He clenched his fist and walked to the door. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Ana.

"Bye, baby. Love you."

"I love you more!" she called as he disappeared down the stairs.

"That's a lie! I love you more!" he yelled, echoing through the silent mansion. Before she could respond, he closed the door and left the Mansion. She playfully rolled her eyes at him, knowing he couldn't see her. Her phone buzzed on the dresser across the room and she jumped up, walking over to it. She unlocked it and smiled when she saw who it was.

 _From: Kate_

 _Hey, babe. Do you want to do something today? Elliot_ _is going to the company with Christian. He mumbled something_ _about some important meeting and that he actually needed to go to this meeting today. Ugh. And, I'm fucking bored. I mean if not, I'll_ _just read and go to the park._

She typed a response and agreed to meet at the local park to talk. She also wanted to see the scenery. It was always beautiful there, especially on a sunset. They loved going there for peace and quiet. She would have to remember to take Christian there with her one day because she knew he would love the view. It's too pretty not too. Even though he might not even pay attention and stare at her but at least he'd still be there. It would be his choice whether he would look at it or not.

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the straightener to flatten the waves that bounced in her hair from sleeping. But, Christian loved the curls and waves her natural hair had but to her it just looked ugly. She hated wearing it out. It felt weird and wrong. She straightened the waves, with a few squirts of hair spray to make sure it stayed and wasn't too rough like it sometimes turned out. She walked out and tucked her hair behind her ears, opening the closet.

She grabbed a plain black tank top and jean shorts because of the heat outside. Thank God for air conditioning. She ran a brush through her chocolate locks and left the house, going to the park.

She arrived minutes later, fanning herself with her hand. She spotted the strawberry blonde sitting at a bench, a open book in her head sitting across the field.

"Hey, Kate." Ana called, sitting next to the woman. Kate immediately perked up and turned her head at the brunette, squealing happily.

"Hey, Ana."

"Did you get any new books done over the weekend? Or any new ones your reading?"

Kate shook her head. "Not really. I didn't really have much time to read any books since I was in bed all weekend with Elliot and last night since he finally came home and eased up on protecting you and Christian twenty four seven." She laughed, biting on her bottom lip no doubt having flashbacks of her nights with her brother-in-law.

"Anything happen with you?" Kate asked, putting a small piece of paper between the pages she was on and laid the book down next to her, eager for Anastasia's response.

Ana shrugged. "Nothing exciting. I just went to work with my husband and helped him with his files and documents. Things like that-"

"I bet you did more than help him with his _documents_ and _files._ I'm sure between those periods you ended up on top of his desk." Kate smirked, scribbling on her white pad.

Ana blushed and didn't respond. She clasped a hand over her face to hide the smile appearing on her lips because that was _exactly_ what happened.

"Don't be jealous that you and Elliot haven't done it." Ana replied, giving her own smirk. Ana smiled coyly.

"Who said we haven't already? I never said that. I just like teasing you because you blush and it's cute seeing it and plus I'm your best friend so it would be a little weird if I didn't embarrass you at least once."

Ana dropped her mouth open and raised her eyebrows. "You're so, mean to me!"

Kate shook her head as if the thought was absurd.

"I'm not mean. I just like to teas and have fun. Plus, you always teased me about my matching outfits. You always used to say that the color of my dress wasn't the same color of my shoes. Sorry, Queen Anastasia, that I couldn't find the _perfect_ matching shoes to my dress. Sometimes it's not possible. And, I'm not spending a lot of money just so I can match. I'd rather where two colors that are kind of off than spend a lot of money for one night. Because if you remember, we went to the clubs when I matched a lot but now I just wear my jeans and t-shirts. I have no reason to go out anymore. I'm perfectly content with Elliot. Sure, we have fun sometimes but I would rather choose him over a night of partying."

Kate smiled, showing off her bright smile to the world at the thought of her boyfriend.

She turned to Ana and finally away from the tree.

"How are things with you and Christian? Still in the honeymoon stage? I swear, you two have been love dovey for longer than these Disney movie characters. But, then again, there's nothing wrong with being in love. I've just never seen anyone act the way you two do. It's amazing and beautiful to watch."

Ana smiled and blushed bright red at her friend's compliments. "Things are _so_ good Kate. I never would have thought this would happen to me... _ever._ I thought I would spend the rest of my life alone. I always thought there was something wrong with me but the moment Christian entered my life, he changed all that for me. My views of myself. My views on love and life. I swear I fell for him instantly. I wouldn't say it was love at first sight but it was pretty damn close to it."

Ana sighed, the curves of her lips turning upwards into a shy smile. She leaned back against the bench, resting her arm on her hand.

"I couldn't explain what I felt when we first met. I honestly thought he was just a normal person and it actually made everything easier because he just had a sour attitude..." Ana's eyes shot over to Kate's realizing that she had said the wrong thing but sighed in relief when the blonde didn't question her previous words.

"But, I eventually found out why and it only made my feelings grow stronger. I honestly don't remember how _we_ happened. All I know is that one day we were in his office, talking about meetings and files and the next we were making out on his office couch. But, I would never take it back for the world. We were unexpected and I never would have thought I would have found love and happiness, especially with him, but I'm just thankful that I did. I can't put into words how much I love him, Kate."

Ana felt tears brim in her eyes and her vision once again became blurry but it was for a completely different reason. It wasn't from happiness or love but... _guilt._ She didn't _deserve_ happiness or love or kindness. She didn't deserve _Christian._ He was too good for her.

She didn't know how much longer she could keep this secret in. It's been months... since before they were married. She didn't know who to turn too. Christian would hate her so would Kate and Elliot.

But, maybe Kate would understand though. _She hoped._ She was sorry for even _thinking_ about going through with this plan because of her selfishness. She didn't deserve anything good she has. She deserved to rot and be alone the rest of her life.

"That's _so_ cute, Ana! I'm literally swooning. I met Elliot through you when I came to see you for lunch. Ours wasn't the fairytale you and Christian have... but, you know, it's our own and that's what makes it unique. I'm happy I met Elliot as well..." she trailed off, smiling. "I'm going to save my thoughts and emotions for our wedding day. I don't want to say them right now."

Ana softly rolled her eyes at the blonde, shaking her head. Typical _Katherine Kavanagh._ But, what could she expect? She already knew it and she was thankful Kate didn't elaborate and decided to save it for their wedding, that is if her and Elliot even have one. She probably already had everything planned out to the colors and dresses. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if she Kate said she had. But, she was glad Kate wanted to wait until her wedding day to tell how much she felt for Elliot because at the moment she didn't think she would really listen and hear. Ana had been too wrapped up in her emotions to listen to her best friend. Just another thing to add to the list of what Anastasia Steel should rot in hell for.

The blonde perked up after a moment, as if a lightbulb went off in her head. "Oh, Elena's back home! I thought you'd want to know. "

 _Elena._

The name sent chills down her spine and her heart started hammering. But, she kept her gait casual with no hint of hesitation. She couldn't show the fear on her face. It would give away too much.

"Did she say why she was coming back? I mean, she took a great job across the country so why would she come back to the busy city of Seattle?" Ana asked nonchalantly, trying to keep her mask of indifference.

Kate shrugged. "She said that she was stopping by because she was traveling on her vacation. She said she would stop by then leave because she only had a week and she wanted to see more places. She said that she wanted to call you but I told her you dropped your phone in water so you had to get a new phone and number. She said she should be here tonight sometimes and that she would just get your number from me then. She also said she wanted it to be a surprise when she showed up so... oops?" She finished, realizing she let the cat out of the bag.

"I do miss her and we worked together and all as friends but us three were never really close you know? I never felt that much of a connection with her as I did you. I know you two have been friends since high school but I just never felt that much of a connection. I'm not bashing her or anything. I just didn't really connect you know? But, it's nice to hear that she'll be stopping by to see us."

Ana nodded even though the Kate couldn't see her. She couldn't see Elena. She couldn't. She _knew._ She knew about _everything._ It was too big of a risk. Even if her and Elena are on good terms, her coming around was a disaster waiting to happen. She had to keep herself and Christian away from her old friend. It was for the best.

Ana suddenly stood up and tried to keep her spine steady from shaking with fear. "I have to go." she rushed out, ready to quickly run and get to her husband so she could keep an eye out for Elena. She would never think Elena would ever try to see her husband without her but it would give her comfort knowing that she was with Christian so Elena couldn't reach him. She couldn't think of a reason why Elena would say a word to Christian to begin with but she _had_ to make sure.

Kate looked up from her daydream, confused. "Why? What's wrong?"

Ana shook her head and coming up with a lie on the spot. "Nothing's wrong. I just remembered I'm supposed to be on my way to see Christian. You know he'll freak and send the entire police force looking for me if I'm not there soon. I'm super late. He's probably worried sick." she said and walked over to the blonde. She kissed Kate on the cheek and turned away. "I have to go, Kate. Bye. Love you."

"Love you too!" Katherine called as Ana practically ran to her car and threw the door open.

She started it and drove away from the park, making sure she looked around so she didn't anyone because of the kids that loved to come with their parents before heading straight to her husband's company. She got there and parked the car and rushed inside. She went right past Liv and up the elevator. She walked down the hall and paused in front of Elliot's door and smiled when she saw he wasn't there. He had actually listened to her. She thought he would be right back tomorrow. He needs to take time to sleep, get proper food in his stomach and not fast food and see the girlfriend that desperately misses him.

She continued walking down the hall until she stopped in front of Christian's doors. She heard whispers and she opened the doors, expecting to see Elliot and Christian talking or Christian on the phone but she found neither.

There stood her husband next to Elena, frozen with his back to her. He turned to her once he heard the doors open as her body shook with terror. Elena stood behind him, an evil smirk on her lips all but screaming _I-told-on-you_. Anastasia's fear only sky rocketed when Christian finally met her gaze. His fists were clenched at his side, his eyes squinted and dark, no longer the bright grey orbs she fell in love with. His jaw was clenched and twitching violently, staring her down as if she was the enemy. She knew it was already too late. Anything she could say to him would no longer register in his mind. Nor did he want it too.

Any trace of love and care that was held in his gunmetal eyes were now gone and now replaced with pure hatred.

 _He knew._

* * *

 _ **It seems as though Ana's in trouble. I wonder how she'll get out of this one...**_

 _ **A**_ _**quick**_ _**note; I just wanted to say thank you! I was just so excited to finally share this story that I honestly wasn't worried about the reviews, follows and favorites but I got so many all at once and I just wanted to say thank you! I was**_ _**ecstatic**_ _**when I saw all of them. I never though this story would have blown up the way it did. At first, I though the premises was a little boring but after thinking about it, I actually really like it and so do you all!**_ _**Another note; once again, I**_ _**just wanted to say there will be no cheating in this story for future reference and in case anyone else was wondering.**_

 _ **My favorite is coming next... angst! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this chapter but I figured why not? I'm excited to post another chapter and I'm already writing the third one. So, it was a little present. Just warning; the next chapter will be shorter than this one but it is important to the story. Just wanted to say that.**_

 _ **Why do you think Elena exposed her? What do you think Ana had planned but never went through with it?**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**"Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can**_ _**destroy**_ _**everything."**_

* * *

She knew tensing against the shaking of her limbs was useless but she still did it instinctively, trying to suppress it for a few more moments what she knew she cannot. The silence of the waiting room made her blood as cold as the autumnal air that crept through an open window. It lay on her skin like a poison. It seeped into her blood and paralyzed her brain, her pupils became dilated and there was a tremor in her hands.

What starts as a contortion of inside her stomach becomes a feeling of being smothered by an invisible hand. With just one glance of Christian's cold, lifeless eyes. The fear sits quietly, eroding the person she was born to be as if this day has been coming all her life. She fought the feeling as her body silently writhes to be free from his heated gaze or shut down entirely and break down in tears. Against it, she pit the fear of never making a move to defend herself or failing through cowardice and hang her head in shame. She didn't know what to do. Or, what to say. Nothing she could say would make up for whatever words Elena put inside her husband's head.

 _Nothing._

Her mouth opened. Once. Twice. Three times before she closed it, the muscles in her throat tight from the sheer terror running up and down her spine.

Her body was frozen under the sight of Christian Grey's smoky, narrowed eyes. And, she didn't know what her next move would be. That was if he gave her the chance to make one. She didn't know how she could fix this or _if_ it could be fixed.

She watched as Elena continued smirking behind Christian's back and met her eyes as they twinkled with mischief. She lightly shrugged to herself as if saying _oh-_ well, not caring one bit that she may have just destroyed a marriage, but Ana couldn't put the full blame on Elena. If she had never opened her mouth to Elena and they never spoke that night, she wouldn't be in this position right now. Elena turned around and grabbed her purse sitting on one of Christian's chairs in front of his desk.

With a flick of her wrist, she flipped her light faded blonde hair, a satisfied Cheshire grin on her lips as she walked past Christian with a sway of her hips hoping he would take notice. Ana silently breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't, never taking his eyes away from her. At least he didn't add insult to injury. Even if it was her fault in a way.

As if in slow motion, Elena stepped past her, giving the brunette a side eye that screamed pure hated that Anastasia didn't miss. It couldn't have been more noticeable than if it slapped her in the face. But, Christian saw nothing. _Of course._ He was probably too busy plotting different ways to kill her and get away with it.

Not that she didn't deserve it.

The guilt sat not on her chest but deep inside her brain. What she had planned to do she could not un-do or take back liked she wished. The fire burnt her out so badly there was nothing left but a shell, an outline of a person.

Christian had filled that void in her heart bringing His perfect love to rebuild me anew. But, it was all shot to hell now.

The click of the door echoed throughout the dead silent room, signaling Ana to start speaking.

"Christian-"

He held up one hand, finally looking away from her and to the ground on the left side of him in utter disbelief, only sending more painful shards of glass into her heart.

God knows what Elena fed into his brain.

"Don't Anastasia." He spat, his tone daring her to talk back.

It was just a few words but they bring tears to her eyes.

A fire burned in her mind and throat and she was unable to speak. Guilt was eating and pestering her alive.

Her eyes burned and her chest felt heavy as if it were filled with lead. She fought back tears as she walked closer to Christian. There had to be a chance to fix this, save it... save _them._

Her hand reached out to cup his face in hopes he would listen to what she had to say and was shocked to see him slap her hand away, the physical pain on her skin barely nothing in comparison to the ache in her heart.

"Don't touch me, Anastasia." Christian hissed, turning his back to her and walking over to the window looking out on the busy city.

His cold attitude was the worst. If he was angry or sad then he needed to say that so they could talk damnit.

"Christian, please talk to me. This will go no where if you just shut down!"

Her comment made Christian spin around. There was no trace of tears, not in his eyes or in track marks on his reddening face. Tears would be better than anger. His eyes were narrowed, rigid and hard. In that moment she knew he was already far away. Nothing she could say could bring him back to her. He had already checked out and ran from her. She didn't blame him though. She was the enemy. She knew these verbal blows would be the death of her. His eyes had no greyscale, only the polar extremes existed. She drew in a deep breath; the burning hard stare would last only as long as it took him to think of the most brutally cutting thing he could tear her down with. And after that she could kiss anything breakable goodbye. Which right now might just be her nose, it was so hard to tell and so pointless to run. Christian had never laid a hand on her but who knew now.

"Anastasia, I'm in no mood to hear you. I honestly don't care if _this"_ he waved between the both of them. "ever goes anywhere again."

She bit her tongue, trying to hold the tears that threatened to leave her eyes.

"Christian, what are you talking about? What's wrong? What did she say to you?" Ana asked, frantic walking closer to him.

Christian took a step back, holding up his hands up to her, an obvious sign to stay back from him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the stony expression never leaving his face.

He shook his head, turning his gaze back to his wife.

A hint of disappointment lingered on his face before it vanished as quickly as it came an unremarkable grey like that of concrete or stone hardening once again.

"She told me that you planned to work for me, marry me and use me for my money. She said that you both had planned it when you were younger because you just wanted money-"

"No, Christian-"

She tried to tell him that wasn't the truth. It wasn't the _whole_ truth. But, Christian interrupted.

"Tell me it's not true." Christian demanded, taking a deep breath to calm his shaking limbs from anger.

Her tongue felt like lead. She couldn't. It would be a lie.

She opened her mouth and took a breath to speak but closed it when the words caught in her throat.

She hung her head in shame and Christian shook his head.

He turned his back to her, his jaw clenched.

"Get out."

Her head shot back up at his words and her mouth fell slack, hanging wide open. Tears started building up in her eyes and brimmed around her bottom lid, threatening to fall.

"What?" she asked in utter disbelief, her blood running cold when she saw no emotions on his face. Just a blank mask.

She knew it was coming and her muscles tense as much as they can. The knowing doesn't soften the blow.

He turned back around. " _Get. Out!_ " He screamed, pointing to his office doors.

Pain sears through her abdomen better than a branding iron, her mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. A salty fluid dripped over her dry, cracked lips. She blinked briny tears from her bloodshot eyes, her thick lashes stuck together in clumps as if she'd been swimming. The tears made wet tracks down her face and dripped from her wobbling chin as if she was a child. Her hands open and closed, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to her pain... if only she could find it.

The nausea swirled unrestrained in her empty stomach. Her head swam with half-formed regrets. Her heart felt as if the blood in it had become tar as it struggled to keep a steady beat. Her melancholy mood hung over her like a black cloud, raining her personal sorrow down on herself.

She turned away, finally breaking down and did as he demanded. She fled.

* * *

Her eyes shifted to the side again and became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks for the hundredth time that night. Her insides still felt as raw as if a winter wind was blowing right through her skin. The last conversation haunted her, taunted her, replaying like an echo in her mind. She bit her lip tightly in attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth and Kate's heart sank.

"Will you even tell me what's wrong?" Kate asked, laying her head on top of Ana's. "You just came over and started crying. Ana, you have to tell me what's wrong. I can't do anything to help unless you do."

In response, Anastasia only cried harder, breathless sobs coming from her throat.

"You're lucky Elliot's not here. He would have flipped if he saw you crying and he would have called Christian the moment he saw you. Speaking of Christian, does he know what's wrong?" Kate said, grabbing another tissue and handing it to her best friend. "You know he'll kick someone's ass if he knew you were crying."

Ana shook her head, her tears momentarily paused. She raised up from Kate's lap and wiped at her nose and eyes, taking a chocked breath.

"No. Christian doesn't know."

She hoped Kate would leave it alone. She didn't want to explain to her best friend that her marriage may have just ended, especially when it was her fault.

But, since she was Katherine Kavanagh after all, she didn't.

"Why not? Did you two have a fight? What happened?" Kate immediately started questioning, furrowing her eyebrows.

Ana shook her head again, a new batch of tears falling from her eyes. "He hates me, Kate." Ana stated, her voice hoarse and coming out cracked.

"No he doesn't, Ana. Whatever happened between you two, will blow over soon. You two are physically incapable of hating each other. Just give it some time and talk about it, you two will be fine. I know you will."

"No, it won't Kate. This can't be fixed. He hates me and nothing can fix that."

"Everything will be fine." Kate silently promised, reaching over to hug Ana.

As her arms wrapped around her best friend, she couldn't help but think this was just the beginning. And she was terrified of what that meant.

* * *

 _ **I know, I know. This chapter was super**_ _**short.**_ _**I planned on it being longer but it just came out this way. And, I only**_ _**wanted**_ _**this chapter to be about the fight and Ana running to Kate. But, I will make up for it next chapter. Next chapter will be super long with lots of angst, tears and maybe even a little jealousy. I have so much planned for this story later on. Thank you all for your support! Love you guys! I never thought so many people would enjoy this story but I'm glad you do. :**_ _**)**_


End file.
